Comments on: Pros and cons of budget accommodations in Europe

By: cairns accommodation

cairns accommodation — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 08:40:30 +0000

Modern Western Europe is the birthplace of Western culture. European (particularly Western European) nations played a predominant role in global affairs from the 16th century onwards, especially after the beginning of colonialism. Between the 17th and 20th centuries, European nations controlled at various times the Americas, most of Africa, Australasia and large portions of Asia. Demographic changes and the two World Wars led to a decline in European dominance in world affairs by the mid-20th century as the United States and Soviet Union took prominence. During the Cold War Europe was divided along the Iron Curtain between NATO in the West and the Warsaw Pact in the East. European integration led to the formation of the Council of Europe and the European Union in Western Europe, both of which have been expanding eastward since the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991.

By: Sarah

Sarah — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 20:41:43 +0000

Hi! I was just browsing through your blog and found this post. One thing my husband and I have come to really appreciate for vacations is vrbo.com or other “by owner” vacation rental sites. Usually you can rent a whole house or condo for about the same (sometimes less) than hotels. Plus, you have the ability to save tons of money by cooking your own food instead of going out to eat for each meal. Just something to consider if you like to cook. :)

By: Nikki

Nikki — Sat, 21 Feb 2009 06:50:11 +0000

I've been to Paris multiple times and found the best saving/experience by renting a privatly owned apartment. Having your own kitchen make meals cheaper and provides a whole new adventure (the grocery stores). These are harder to book and check into, but I think it was worth it! Nikki’s last blog post..Save $93.08 - Drink Less Soda

By: Margot

Margot — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 22:06:07 +0000

I’ve already shared a comment like this before, but in the event it’s useful again, you can stay in budget hotels for MUCH less than $125. I was in Paris two years ago, spent 15 min walking around a popular tourist area (near where other budget hotels were that were listed in Lonely Planet) and found a very, very nice hotel that had just opened, was nearly empty, and our room was somewhere around $30-45 per night (can’t remember exactly). I’ve done that all over Europe. You just need to be willing to make reservations when you arrive in a city. This way you also get lower rates with any hotel, because you represent an opportunity for them to fill whatever room is going empty that night anyway. And unless you are traveling at the highest season, there will always be tons of availability. Also, I’ve stayed in tons of youth hostels around Europe, and many of them are quiet and clean (you can get good reviews online and on travel websites), and some even have private rooms with attached bathrooms.

By: Micaela | Striving Green

Micaela | Striving Green — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 18:38:09 +0000

I love reading about your planning - thanks for posting this. I can live vicariously through you! I think your guesthouse idea is great, as long as one of you is a good navigator, you should be OK. BTW, sharing a bathroom is not such a bad thing. We stayed in a mom & pop hotel in Paris which had a sink and toilet in the room, only the shower was shared. When you think about it, several hundred dollars savings vs. sharing a shower that you only use for 5 - 10 minutes a day might be worth the savings. Our experience was the bathroom was clean and we didn't have to wait very long. Micaela | Striving Green’s last blog post..Is it a Bribe? Or a Motivator?

By: Kacie

Kacie — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 15:59:24 +0000

I think it would be kinda cool to stay in a variety of places, but you’re right, it would be a hassle to move your belongings several times.

So I dunno. Good luck!